Charlaine Harris has created a fascinating alternate history for the "United States" in her Gunnie Rose series, one where the formerly united states have collapsed into 5 separate countries. It's set in the 1930s, following the fictional assassination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After his death, the U.S. fell into chaos and ultimately was broken into pieces, and other nations took chunks of land for themselves, Canada along the northern border, Mexico along the southern, not to mention Russia on the West Coast and Great Britain on the east. This unique setting is part of what makes the series so interesting. Witches and wizards and their magic don't hurt either.
I've really been enjoying these books, and I was so pleased to get the opportunity to read this fifth book in the series. Where the first three books center on Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose, #4 focused on Felicia, Lizbeth's recently discovered half sister. In this, Book 5, Lizbeth and Felicia are reunited when Felicia comes to stay with Lizbeth at her home in Texoma.
Gunnie Rose is neither witch nor wizard - although she may have a touch of magical abilities - she's already a talented gunfighter at the age of 19 when the series starts. In this newest book she's a newlywed who's struggling a bit in her marriage to her beloved Eli, whom she fears is bored with their life in Texoma, far from his privileged life in San Diego as a grigori prince. Almost immediately after Felicia arrives, with Eli's brother Peter accompanying her, Eli is called back to San Diego and Lizbeth assumes the worst, that he's happy and anxious to leave Texoma and their life behind and return to his life of privilege. But she doesn't have a lot of time to dwell on her marital concerns, she and Felicia find themselves in the midst of fending off Felicia's hopeful suitors (who hope to take advantage of both her family connections and her abilities as a witch). Mayhem ensues.
If you've never read this series, it's one I highly recommend reading in order - there are definite connections from book to book. I'd somehow missed the release of Book 4 until I saw that Book 5 was being release, and was glad I chose to read Book 4 first. This isn't necessarily the strongest book in the series, much of it felt like a setup for the events to come in book #6. But I still enjoyed it and can't wait for what comes next.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Lizbeth Rose and Eli have left San Diego and are now living in Texoma near her mother and stepfather. Lizabeth has recently lost a baby and is grieving. She is also concerned that Eli may be regretting their marriage. In San Diego, Eli had been a powerful and respected grigori in aid of the Holy Russian Emperor but here in Texoma, he uses his powers for mundane work like digging ditches and moving water. Although he never complains, she can’t help worrying that he feels unsatisfied in this new life. She is also concerned that he doesn’t show any grief for the loss of their baby.

Now her sister, Felicia, and Eli’s brother, Peter, also a grigori, have come for a visit as well as to get out of San Diego where Felicia’s burgeoning death magic had led to kidnapping and assassination attempts. Lizbeth wonders if, after the excitement and extravagance of San Diego, the pair will be able to settle into the hard scrabble life of Texoma.

When a militia kidnaps Eli and Peter, Lizbeth and Felicity must work together to rescue them. After the rescue, Eli and Peter leave for San Diego and Lizbeth wonders if her worst fears about their marriage have come true. However, she has little time to fret. The Wizard’s Ball in San Diego is fast approaching. It is where powerful grigorii families make connections and Felicia's death magic makes her a highly sought after asset. Soon, suitors start arriving at their home in hopes of winning her hand before the ball and when these lead to kidnapping, the sisters are kept very busy.

All the Dead Shall Weep is the fifth book in Charlaine Harris’ Gunnie Rose alternate history series and what a wild ride it is. I have been following this series since the beginning and have loved
every exciting action filled minute of it. The story is told in alternate voices by Lizbeth and Felicia. A lot of questions remain unanswered at the end leaving hints at a future instalment of the series and I am so here for it. I should note that this wouldn’t work well as a stand-alone because there are so many moving parts to the story. But if you are a fan of alternate history combining the old west of the US and the opulence of pre-revolution Russia with magic, mayhem and badass female protagonists, you really need this series in your life.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review

All the dead should weep was another excellent book by Charlaine Harris. I love all the books I’ve read by her and this one didn’t disappoint. I’ll be telling my friends about this series. Thank you for giving me the opportunity netgalley

I really don't think Charlaine Harris can write a book that is less than excellent. This is the 5th book in Gunnie Rose series that started with AN EASY DEATH in 2018. I've read them all and I recommend that you do the same. As in the Sookie Stackhouse series, you can read each as a stand alone but you'd miss the drama and not have all of the back story which only makes the books better. Charlaine Harris' writing pulls you into the story, everything outside the book disappears and woe to anyone trying to get my attention. The backstory includes the fact that the United States has survived a civil war by breaking into 5 independent countries.....an alternative history with HUGE twists.

The sisters Karkarova, Lisbeth and Felicia, are reunited in Texoma where Lisbeth and her husband, Eli live and work. Felicia and her maybe boyfriend.....and Eli's brother.....are on summer break from the Rasputin School of Magic. There are many story threads running throughout the book, plus many clues dropped to what could be happening in the next book, Winter Ball, anyone? The characters are well plotted and reveal many layers as the story progresses and the Texoma community is attacked and must agressively defend itself. My only complaint, I now have to wait another year for the next book. 5 easy stars from this Harris fan.

This is another incredible book in the Gunnie Rose series. The action never stops! I loved the sister relationship between Lizbeth and Felicia. The anticipation of the Wizard’s Ball has me looking forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own

Another terrific installment in the excellent Gunnie Rose series! This one is a bit shorter and feels like a preamble to the next truly big adventure, but meanwhile, we still get to spend time with these terrific characters, which is always a treat.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This book was a nice continuation of the story of Lizbeth and Felicia. Now that their lives have collided and become intertwined, I'm interested to see them pair up more often. We definitely need a book about what happens at the Wizard's Ball. I'm not sure how I felt about the switching back and forth of narrators. It got a little confusing at times. But overall it was enjoyable.

Another quick and easy read by Charlaine Harris. Her writing is quick witted and quite entertaining.

This isn't like True Blood at all. There is a lot more action than romance, which I find to be more appealing and entertaining.

Thank you #NetGalley for #AlltheDeadShallWeep.

What just happened here? Book 5 in this series is definitely not a standalone. This is best read in the order the series was written. I don't know what I expected for this book but it wasn't this. Before I dive into why this book threw me for a loop, I'd like to admire the book cover. I'm not a big book cover person but for some reason, this really appeals to me. I don't even like the colour pink or fushia or whatever colour this is as the background yet it really stands out and I like it.

This book's title completely captures the plot. There is death, death, and death. Which makes sense as Rose's sister Felicia is a death mage. Her specialty is to bring death to her enemies. And there are so many enemies in this one. I still don't fully understand the whole militia part of this story. It is also a bit of a quandary for me to learn about the different attacks Felicia had to do to defend Rose. Whilst this is all going on, Rose and Eli's relationship is on the rocks.

I would say that the most disturbing part of this story for me was Rose and Eli's break up. I don't feel like this was well thought out. The ending was a bit of wtfery too and I didn't like it. I've enough the plots of the previous books. This one felt more like a filler and random events where thrown together to make it a book. There is a lot going on between a broken marriage, a miscarriage, suitors falling over themselves to win Felicia's hands, a familial visitation gone wrong, and the unending killings. I am mixed about this book in the series and feel it is the weakest one of the set. I am interested in what will happen next with Felicia and the marriage ball. This gun-slinging sci-fi is recommended to readers already invested in this series.

I struggled with this one. I still love this series, and this book was good...but it felt like more of a "middle book" who's only purpose was to setup the second half of the series. The plot for this one is much more of a bridge than a stand alone narrative, which means not much happens. Or at least not much is resolved. It's still encourage everyone to read it, you'll need it for what comes next. But as a single novel, it's not great

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
ALL THE DEAD SHALL WEEP is the fifth installment of the Gunnie Rose series. This is not a standalone novel, the series must be read in order.

This series is one of the most original I've ever read. Intriguing. Fast-paced. Action-packed. A dystopian, early twentieth century, alternate history had the world been wiped out by a pandemic flu. The US is now split up into different countries and territories. Multiple historical events converge in this time frame, added to the novel in an innovative way.

Lizbeth lives in a combination of Texas and Oklahoma, near the Mexican border, under Russian rule set in San Francisco.

Narrated by a pair of half sisters, Lizbeth and Felicia. Both with their own strengths, Lizbeth is a gunnie while Felicia is a magic wielder. While not raised as family, their bond and connection caused all the feels.

Visiting from SF magic school, Felicia helps Lizbeth protect the town and her sister from all sides now that they've been unexpectedly left alone. Suitors, a converging militia group, and Felicia's maternal family that keeps popping up. These sisters are fiercely protective of one another.

A gamut of emotions. The way the sisters speak in general and to each other, one word or a phrase holds a host of emotions. Unique diction, as if words are currency they can't afford to use. Low on inner monologue, but what is thought has emotional impact.

Grief. Hope. Sadness. Humor. Betrayal. Small town mindsets. Nonstop action. Love of family, community, and partners. Tragedy. A seed of excitement to come. ALL THE DEAD SHALL WEEP was a quick read that left me satisfied yet eager for more.

All The Dead Shall Weep is another strong entry in the Gunnie Rose series. If you like alternate history, especially one with a bunch of magic, this series will appeal to you. It has become one of my favorites.

To really understand what’s going on, it would be best to have read the rest of the series, although the author certainly tries to provide some backstory. This series is set in the 1930s in what used to be the United States. The action in this one takes place in Texoma, basically what used to be Texas and Oklahoma. The main two characters are Lizbeth (known as Gunnie Rose) and her half-sister Felicia. Felicia is a very powerful “grigori” in training. Grigori is what people in the Holy Russian Empire (mostly what used to be California and Oregon), call those with magical powers. Lizbeth’s husband Eli is a grigori and now lives with Lizbeth in her small town in Texoma.

From Charlaine Harris: “sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia as well as brothers Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates.”

Eli and Peter are absent for a good portion of the book, and Lizbeth is assailed with doubts about their marriage because of this. I loved the blooming relationship between the sisters (they didn’t know each other when they were youngsters). Felicia is really coming into her powers but she still has trouble controlling her magic sometimes. I loved that different chapters were written from either Lizbeth’s POV or Felicia’s.

There’s a lot of action interspersed throughout the book, and Lizbeth gets plenty of opportunity to use her gun skills. In addition, there’s a lot of rather homey passages, showing how simply she lives (trapping/shooting animals for meat, stewing beans, and so forth), driving home the vast differences between life in Texoma and life in San Diego, where Eli comes from. The book ends before the afore-mentioned Wizard’s Ball, so I am looking forward to book six one of these days!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery / Saga for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Such a groundbreaking series!

This is the fifth book in the Gunnie Rose series and I am fully here for it. This series blends magical realism, alternate history, and western genres—a combo I have never before encountered. It completely works, though, and I’m enthralled by the stories.

I care very much about the characters and the action-packed plots keep my attention throughout.

These books are super fun and I’ll keep reading them as long as Harris keeps writing them.

All the Dead Shall Weep was one of my most anticipated books of 2023, as I am a huge fan of Charlaine Harris and the Gunnie Rose series in particular. As much as I loved this book, it fell a little short of my expectations and felt more like a long short story. The majority of the book was Gunnie at home doing Gunnie things, while a plot kind of happened behind the scenes. Normally I love this sort of Slice-Of-Life plot but I wasn't very satisfied with the resolution at the end of the book; it didn't feel genuine to the character Eli Savarov and made me like him less. To be fair, he's not always super awesome and that's truly human nature, and I am a little tired of male main characters being so absolutely perfect. Eli definitely made mistakes in this one, and I guess I'm left feeling annoyed with him and don't want to be.

Still one of my favorite series, just maybe the weakest link in a really strong chain.

I never thought I would be able to get into books that are set in an alternate timeline/history but this series is EXCELLENT. Once again, Charlaine Harris continues to amaze me with her novels and this is such an incredible series!

Set in Texoma in the lawless former US, Gunnie Rose is waiting for her half-sister Felicia and her husband, Eli, brother Peter. Felicia is far different from the poor girl Gunnie Rose rescued. Gunnie Rose is excited for the visit, but wonders what is really behind this visit. As the two are barely settling in, an army assaults the town and Eli and Peter are captured. If you’ve read any Gunnie Rose, you know what she’s going to do next.

There’s a lot of interesting things going on. The sisters build a better relationship. Gunnie Rose’s mom has a big surprise. I really enjoyed this installment of Gunnie Rose and can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books/Saga, and Ms. Harris for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I like this series a lot - it's so imaginative, and a combination of elements I rarely see otherwise. Alternative history, wild west, Rasputin-era Russia, post-apocalypse, magic, strong female characters (magic-wielding as well as decidedly Not) there's something here for everyone. And I enjoyed this outing, which really shone in its relationship growth between the two sisters (Lizbeth and Felicia). Despite this, the book in its entirety did strongly feel like a bridge book. While there was a lot of character growth for Lizbeth and Felicia, plot-wise not much happened (and frankly, Eli came across rather poorly). I saw another reviewer describe the Lizbeth/Eli situation as basically the maligning of Eli's character and I would have to agree. The entire situation seemed hasty and forced.

The dual POV between Felicia and Lizbeth was helpful in explaining their motivations and thoughts, and really demonstrated how they were coming to a deeper understanding of and respect for each other. I enjoyed that part the most, I think, and it's the reason why I'm happy to round my 3 1/2 stars up to 4 for a GR rating.

Looking forward to seeing where Harris takes her characters in the next book. The current situation doesn't seem to be particularly tenable for the three main characters so I'm sure something big is in store.

I had a great time with this book! Since the previous book in the series was told entirely from Felicia's point of view, I expected that this book would be as well. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this book is told from Lizbeth's point of view in addition to Felicia's. Felicia and Peter travel to Texoma to visit with Lizbeth and Eli only for trouble to come to town almost immediately. Eli and Peter decide to follow the men who shot up their town only to find themselves in deeper trouble.

I found this installment to be rather exciting. Lizbeth is going through some difficult things in this book and my heart hurt for her more than a little bit. All four of these characters find themselves facing dangerous situations and I couldn't wait to see exactly how things would work out for them. They are dealing with changes in their personal life at the same time that they are facing almost impossible odds which only made the situation more difficult. There were a few things that happened that I believe will have a big impact on future books. I do recommend this series to others but I would definitely suggest starting with the first book. I have had a lot of fun getting to know this wonderful group of characters and enjoy the alternative world that this author has created. I cannot wait to see what might happen next!

I received a digital review copy of this book from Gallery Books.

While I enjoyed the fifth book of this series, this is definitely filler for what will be an action packed book 6.

Soon into Peter and Felicia's visit to Segundo Mexico is cut short when Eli and Peter leave abruptly. Poor Lizbeth assumes that Eli has left her for good. Meanwhile, the presence of a militia group and random suitors vying for Felicia's hand give the sisters plenty to deal with.

We didn't see much of Lizbeth in the last book. Her marriage to Prince Eli is going through a rough patch. Magic is frowned upon in Texoma and Eli is having difficulty finding his place in this rural society. They just suffered a traumatic event and have not been communicating well. Lizbeth's grief is palpable. It was great to see Lizbeth and Felicia interact, especially Felicia's open admiration for her sister, who is often underestimated.

This book also sets up political machinations that broaden the world building. The militia may mean an invasion by a neighboring country. Felicia is a hot item on the marriage market but her suitors may not have her best interests at heart. And then there's a new politician in Germany who has just started to make the news.